What is Groundwork Elizabeth?
Founded in England in 1979, the Groundwork program engages the public sector, the private sector and the community in addressing challenges in urban communities. more information

What type of projects and programs are being done now?
Groundwork’s mission is to improve places and in doing so to improve the lives of people within the Elizabeth community and beyond. more information

How can I get involved?
Groundwork welcomes individual group and corporate volunteers and sponsorships. more information

Groundwork Elizabeth’s Come Grow With Us! Program
continues expands its farming and outreach for 2015

Groundwork Elizabeth’s Come Grow With Us! Community Gardening/Farming program, working with the Kean University Administration, is expanding its reach at the Kean University Farm, Union County’s only ‘urban farm’, located adjacent to the Liberty Hall Museum in Union. For 2015 GW will be farming an additional 1.5 acres, growing 92 crops, including 16 varieties of tomatoes. Looking to engage more and more of the Kean University family, there is a goal for greater involvement for Kean University Students. SESS (the School of Environmental and Sustainabiity Science) students have made the farm the focus of their Senior Practicum, where they proposed 6 areas of interest in the farm: Water useage, a soil plan, a Farm Tracking Application, Development of a Permaculture plan, Education, and the creation of a medicinal learning garden. We welcome students of all grades with diverse areas of interest on Wednesdays by appointment, and Thursdays all volunteers are welcomed from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Part of the permaculture process will be to design field for greatest yield with least impact on the environment. A demonstration garden at the entrance to the Farm is underway. We have a lot of interest from the private sector as well within Union County. For 2015, a program funded by the Westfield Foundation and supported by Elizabethtown Gas is sending youth to the farm to learn skills and to act as stewards of an environmental sustainability study.

Update of GW Elizabeth, USEPA Urban Waters Program

In September 2014, Groundwork Elizabeth was awarded a grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to study the City’s “urban waters”. Since that date, members of the Groundwork youth Green Team and community at large have been developing educational and interactive programming to raise awareness and stewardship of the Elizabeth River and surrounding watershed.

Besides the educational component, the Green Team has scheduled River Cleanups consistent with EPA protocols, and is working on an extensive river exploration to make an assessment about the quality of the water, plants, trees and the inhabitants of the river. A survey of the animals including birds, butterflies, mammals, fish, and other aquatic life who use the river has been started.

The results of these studies will be compiled in an electronic field guide for the Elizabeth River visitors and also will be available in a public interactive website, currently under construction that will be launched in Spring 2016. For more information on the program and to become involved, email Groundwork at elizabethnj@groundworkusa.org.